BEVO BEAT Football
Top opponents for Texas in 2017, No. 34: Texas Tech WR Keke Coutee
Posted July 30th, 2017
The countdown to kickoff is on. Over the 100 days before Texas takes on Maryland, we’re counting down the 100 best players the Longhorns will face in 2017. This series is all about impressing your friends at pregame tailgates and watch parties, so grab a notepad and buckle up.
Who is he?
The highest-ranked Texas Tech player on this list, Keke Coutee carries some lofty expectations into 2017. The wide receiver is on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award and was named preseason All-Big 12. But his highest expectations come from within. This spring, he told ESPN that he wants to break the single-season touchdown record set by Michael Crabtree.
As a sophomore in 2016, Coutee hauled in 55 catches for 890 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a career game in the season finale against Baylor, when he went for 221 yards and two scores. With Jonathan Giles gone, he’s expected to step into the No. 1 role.
Texas Tech's top three highest graded returning players are all wide receivers.
Any surprises there? pic.twitter.com/enCEd1AFmQ
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 25, 2017
What should the Longhorns watch for?
Coutee might just fit perfectly with his new quarterback. At Big 12 media days, Red Raiders wideout Cameron Batson compared Nic Shimonek’s style to that of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He said Shimonek loves to hit shorter, high-percentage passes rather than seeking out big plays.
Yes, LaQuvionte Gonzalez can make ya miss. pic.twitter.com/dRspJyqNrh
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 18, 2017
Why is that good news for Coutee? Well, the junior from Lufkin is one of the best in the conference at making defenders miss. He’s a good deep route runner too, but if you watch his highlights you’ll see that a lot of his big plays come off short screens or crossing routes. Then it’s off to the races.
Catch up on the series
News on Bevo Beat is free and unlimited. Access to the rest of Hookem.com is included with an Austin American-Statesman subscription in addition to Statesman.com and the ePaper edition. Subscribe today at statesman.com/subscribe.
Comments